How were the surfing opportunities? How realistic is it to take independent trips on the weekends?

For the most part you are free on the weekends to do what you please. One guy in my cohort would go surfing 3-4 days a week so it is realistic to surf on your free time

Hi Eli, thanks for asking about Puntarenas! There are plenty of surfing opportunities when you attend this program. You should know that there is not surfing directly in Puntarenas but there is surfing at beaches that are a short bus ride away from the city. If you take the USAC surfing class it will be hosted at Jaco Beach which is about an hour bus ride away. It's very common for students to head to Jaco Beach or other surf beaches on the weekends so taking independent trips is very realistic and you will most likely not be alone as other students and locals will want to be surfing as well! If you have any further questions feel free to email us at studyabroad@usac.edu